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Lionshead is the west end of Vail's car-free village core, built around the Eagle Bahn Gondola and the Arrabelle plaza with its ice rink. Restaurants, boutiques and a few dessert stops line the streets between them. It sits just west of Vail Village, a 10- to 15-minute walk along Gore Creek or a ride on the free in-town shuttle. What is open depends on the season: the gondola, Epic Discovery and the Berry Picker Trail are summer draws, and skating, the mountain and the holiday events are winter ones.
Ride the Eagle Bahn Gondola
The Eagle Bahn Gondola (lift 19) leaves from the heart of Lionshead and carries skiers and snowboarders in winter and hikers, bikers and sightseers in summer. Rides need a ticket, sold online and at the Vail Village and Lionshead ticket offices, and one child aged 12 or under rides free with each adult ride ticket. Prices are in the gondola cost guide.
| Season | Gondola |
|---|---|
| Summer 2026 | Friday to Sunday from September 11, ending September 27 |
| Winter 2026-27 | Vail Mountain's planned opening day is November 13, weather permitting |
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At the top, Eagle's Nest sits at 10,350 feet and is where Epic Discovery operates in summer, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily from June through Labor Day weekend and then Friday to Sunday in September. It takes a gondola ticket or an Adventure Pass to reach, and lightning closes it. Expect at least a 10-degree drop in temperature from the bottom of the gondola to the top. Gore Creek Mini Golf is at the bottom of the gondola in summer. The Epic Discovery guide covers the activities.
Skate at the Alderhof Ice Rink
The Alderhof Ice Rink is the outdoor rink at The Arrabelle at Vail Square, open from about November to April. Skate rentals come in all sizes, with skating-assist devices, and the plaza has outdoor fire pits. Free 15-minute elite skating shows run at the Arrabelle rink on November 27 and on Saturdays in December through the 19th, at 4:45 and 5:30 p.m.; the last two shows, on December 26 and January 2, move to Solaris Plaza in Vail Village.
Dobson Ice Arena, the indoor rink at 320 E Lionshead Circle, reopens after a renovation, with programming starting in November 2026. Public skating and hockey schedules are on the Vail Recreation District's site.
Browse the boutiques and outfitters
Arriesgado Clothing Co, at 675 Lionshead Place, is a boutique for relaxed, contemporary apparel and accessories for women and men. Gear is at Performance Sports, which stocks ski and snowboard equipment, including fitted boots and outerwear, and jewelry at Lionshead Jewelers. More shops are in the shopping directory and the guide to where to shop in Vail.
Eat and drink in Lionshead
Tavern on the Square is in The Arrabelle within Lionshead Village, and its sunny patio and lobster mac and cheese have made it a favorite for après-ski bites. Dining runs two ways: a walk-up bar with tables on the square, and a reservation-only à la carte experience on the mountain side.
Bart & Yeti's is a bar and grill in the Lifthouse Lodge on East Lionshead Circle, serving burgers, ribs, wings and barbecue, with a kids' menu and a patio for après-ski. For a quick family meal, Blue Moose Pizza sells New York-style slices at 675 Lionshead Place. More options are in the Lionshead restaurants guide.
Hike or snowshoe from the village
The Berry Picker Trail starts at the base of the Lionshead gondola and climbs the east side of the Bwana ski run: 3.1 miles one way and rated advanced. Booth Falls is not a short drive from Lionshead. It is on the Booth Lake Trail in East Vail, also rated advanced, and there is no parking at the trailhead or in the surrounding neighborhood; violators are towed. The way in is the free East Vail bus from the Vail Transportation Center, which leaves every 20 minutes from 6 a.m. on the town’s summer schedule (June 8 to mid-December 2026; the winter schedule sets its own frequency), to the Booth Falls stop and then a quarter-mile walk up Booth Falls Road. The falls are a 60-foot cascade. See the Booth Lake trail page and the hiking guide. Winter snowshoe routes are in the snowshoeing guide.
Spa time at The Arrabelle
The RockResorts Spa at The Arrabelle is a 10,000-square-foot spa with 11 treatment rooms, including a couples room, and locker rooms with a whirlpool, steam room and dry sauna. Its 2026-27 services menu is on Vail Resorts' spa page.
A dessert stop at Häagen-Dazs
The Häagen-Dazs shop is at 675 Lionshead Place, Building A, at The Arrabelle at Vail Square, open 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday to Saturday and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday; the shop is franchise-owned, so seasonal hours can differ. The phone number is (970) 476-1441.
Winter events on the plaza
The Vail Après series runs November 13 to January 3 in 2026-27. In Lionshead it includes the tree lighting on Friday, November 27 and a Silent Disco on Wednesdays from November 18 to December 30, 3:30 to 6:30 p.m. Kringle Crossing, a holiday village with chalets in Lionshead and Vail Village, runs from mid-November to early January. The December guide has more of the calendar. Summer events are on the Discover Vail events calendar. Start any visit at Lionshead Village, and see the best things to do in Vail for the wider picture.
